Mediaboss Marketing

Upskilling is a buzzword thats been drilled into the back of our minds in the past couple of years. After all, it never hurts to learn something new in a competitive job market. But with work and adulting taking up most of our days, finding the time to do it tends to take a backseat.

Of course, when theres a will, theres a way. For those whove got a day or two to spare, these practical short courses will be your saving grace. Not only that, these Continuing Education and Training (CET) courses will help you stay relevant in your field.

P.S. All these courses are also eligible for SkillsFuture Credit.

Image credit: Eatbook

Problem-solving is an essential skill in every workplace. If youre looking to create that next big thing, your first step without a doubt would be to understand the issues consumers face in their day-to-day lives.

If youre looking to take a page out of Grabs book to kickstart your own super app, Design Thinking for an Innovative Workplace will impart skills and frameworks to help you think from a customers POV. This way, youll learn to develop solutions thatll help solve your customers problems.

Design Thinking for an Innovative WorkplaceDuration: 1 day, 9am-5pmDates: 26th Sep 2022

Find out more about Design Thinking for an Innovative Workplace

Content creation is kind of like the underdog of big companies. It may not be a companys main business, but digital content has the potential to make or break how customers engage with a brand, product, or service.

Take a break from your deskbound role in marketing or business development and get behind the camera with Crafting Your Digital Stories. Its a hands-on course thatll give you the lowdown on storytelling skills and the usage of visuals and audio to aid in your business development goals. Not to mention, you could pick up a new videography hobby in the process.

Crafting Your Digital StoriesDuration: 1 day, 9am-5pmDates: 21th Sep, 30th Nov, 7th Dec 202

Find out more about Crafting Your Digital Stories

For those managing a team, Training Needs and Skills Gap Analysis will develop the talents and skills of your subordinates. From identifying the skills and competencies needed for different job roles to prioritising training efforts, youll be able to align the learning and development of your team with your companys objectives.

To achieve this, youll need to be familiarised with Training Needs Analysis and Skills Gap Analysis to fairly and accurately suss out the strengths and weaknesses of your employees and identify the training needs of the team. To follow up, youll learn to develop training recommendations and craft learning plans that are sure to impress both superiors and subordinates.

Training Needs and Skills Gap AnalysisDuration: 2 days, 9am-5pmDates: 19th-20th Sep, 10th-11th Oct, 17th-18th Nov, 14th-15th Dec 2022

Find out more about Training Needs and Skills Gap Analysis

Be it food recommendations or things to do in the area, everything is just a search away these days. But if lets say you own a small clothing business or even a multi-chain business, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) experts will ensure your website shows up at pole position when customers start to search for new trendy outfits.

To get started, the 1 Day SEO Fundamentals course will give you the know-how on keyword research and website optimisation to get maximum eyeballs on your content.

1 Day SEO FundamentalsDuration: 1 day, 9am-5pmDates: 24th November 2022

Find out more about 1 Day SEO Fundamentals

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Creating an Instagram profile and posting content for your new home baking business seems easy enough. But if youre not getting the clicks you want, attending the Engage Customers Through Social Media course might help.

From exploring the different types of social media platforms to understanding social media analytics and its benefits, the course is beginner-friendly whether youre always up-to-date on the latest viral dance moves or have ever been called a boomer.

Engage Customers Through Social MediaDuration: 1 day, 9am-6pmDates: 14th Sep, 18th Nov 2022

Find out more about Engage Customers Through Social Media

From assigning the best route on your Grab ride to recommending favourite new jams on Spotify, data analytics helps our favourite apps and services unlock a ton of convenience and satisfaction in our lives.

With Data Analytics for Workplace, youll become the go-to guru to decode the stacks of Excel spreadsheets to spot trends and patterns. Whether youre managing stocks and supply chains or figuring out the prime time to publish posts on Facebook and Instagram, this course will help you make sense of endless rows and columns of stats to make strategic decisions.

Data Analytics for WorkplaceDuration: 1 day, 9am-5pmDates: 19th Dec 2022

Find out more about Data Analytics for Workplace

Having a little digital know-how is essential in todays tech-fuelled world. So, no doubt that being versed in coding will be of use to those looking to gain an edge in their careers. And its never too late to learn. No programming background is needed if you want to be able to tackle basic coding projects with Coding For Beginners (Online).

Youll be armed with easy-to-use programming learning tools, and rest assured youll be able to get hands-on with the world of coding.

Coding For Beginners (Online)Duration: 1 day, 9am-5pmDates: 11th Nov 2022

Find out more about Coding For Beginners (Online)

Image credit: Nanyang Polytechnic

Whether youre eyeing that promotion or want to gain extra skills and knowledge to better contribute to your team, theres a wide range of Continuous Education and Training (CET) courses at Nanyang Polytechnic to upgrade yourself with.

Ranging from coding and data analytics to digital marketing and social media, these modules can be completed in as quickly as 1 day for a quick addition to your CV.

These courses also come with certificate of completion from NYP or its CET Institutes such as the Asian Culinary Institute (ACI), National Centre of Excellence for Workplace Learning (NACE) and Singapore Institute of Retail Studies (SIRS). You can check out NYPs course calendar to find one that suits your schedule.

These short CET courses will help you better understand various industries without investing weeks or even months of valuable time. Apart from providing a solid foundation to advance your career, these courses will also give you the chance to expand your professional network and even get extra insight to kickstart a career switch.

This post was brought to you by Nanyang Polytechnic.

Read more:
7 Practical Courses To Make You Valuable In Any Industry, With Some As Short As 1 Day To Save Leave - TheSmartLocal

Students Choice Awards

Oswaal Books recently launched Students Choice Awards, a nationwide contest to reward Indias gteachers who have made a difference in the life of students. This contest will be taken through the independent student voting, and the top 50, most voted teachers, will be rewarded with prizes worth 2.5 lakhs and more. The deadline for nominations is August 31. For details, visit, https://bit.ly/3PKPnxV

Scholarships

The University of Birmingham Dubai announced scholarships for Indian students domiciled and living in India.

Eligibility: Students who have submitted their applications and received an offer of admission from the university.

Value: Up to 40% of tuition fees (2022 entry)

Deadline: Late August

https://bit.ly/2HlXOwE

Schaeffler India Limited launched the fourth edition of its H.O.P.E Engineering scholarship programme. This initiative will provide up to 75,000 in financial aid to Engineering students from economically-weaker sections so they can complete their education. The programme is implemented by Buddy4Study.

Application: Online

Deadline: September 15

https://bit.ly/3K6aKbI

M.Tech. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

The Work Integrated Learning Programmes (WILP) division of BITS Pilani has launched a four-semester M.Tech. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) programme.

Deadline: September 12

For eligibility and other details, visit, https://bit.ly/3whVx1I

Women in Tech programme

NXP India recently launched the Women In Tech (WIT) programme, which offers a year-long specialised training to 50 women students who are entering the third semester of a B.E./B.Tech. Electronics/ Computer Science programme from an Indian college.

Deadline: September 15

To register, visit, https://wit.nxp.com/

News from the IITs and IIMs

Jaro Education recently collaborated with Electronics and Information, Communication Technology Academy, IIT Guwahati, an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, GOI, to help professionals grow in the tech industry with the offering of technical courses and programmes.

Imarticus Learning recently launched an Advanced Certification in Digital Marketing and MarTech (Marketing Technology) in association with IIT Roorkee. A a minimum of 50% marks is required in graduation/postgraduation. Applicants have to go through an exam and personal interview.

Researchers from IIT Jodhpur, Indian Institute of Information Technology Guwahati and IIT Kharagpur recently developed architectures and algorithms to enhance the efficiencies of data collection and transmission associated with IoT devices and applications. The research paper has been published in the journal, Future Generation Computer Systems, Elsevier, and is co-authored by Suchetana Chakraborty, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Jodhpur, Sandip Chakraborty, Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Kharagpur and Anirban Das, Research Scholar, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIIT Guwahati.

Prof. Braj Bhushan and Prof. Shatarupa Thakurta Roy from the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Kanpur, and Alok Bajpai, a practising psychiatrist from Kanpur recently developed an application, Assistive Application for Children with Dyslexia and Dysgraphia (AACDD).

Five students of the 2021-23 batch of IIM Bangalores two-year full-time MBA programmes Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP) and Post Graduate Programme in Business Analytics (PGP-BA) recently received prestigious scholarships for their dual degree and term exchange programmes in France.

MoUs and partnerships

HireMee and Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge recently entered into an arrangement to provide access to college students from the State to assess their quantitative and qualitative aptitude using the Bengaluru-based firms AI-based proctored assessment.

Cialfo, in collaboration with Lalaji Memorial Omega International School, Chennai. recently conducted a Careers fair where over 6,000 students participated.

The University of Queensland (UQ) recently signed an agreement with the Asha Society India to support the Asha International Education Programme through India Equity Scholarships for marginalised students from New Delhi. As part of the agreement, UQ will provide three scholarships for postgraduate masters coursework study.

The Institute of Analytics, the U.K., in association with the International Skill Development Corporation, recently launched the IoA Analyst Competency framework at a roundtable organised in Hyderabad. This is part of the Indian regional launch of the IoA Analyst Competency Framework. Osmania University, Amity University, NMIMS Hyderabad, and GITAM University were among those that attended the event.

Cliniminds recently signed an MoU with Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Cancer Hospital, Kolkata to offer a wide range of clinical research, pharmacovigilance, clinical data management, business analytics, healthcare data science, regulatory affairs and several other job-oriented skilling and professional certification programmes.

CMR University, Bengaluru and Korea National Sport University, Seoul, Republic of Korea, recently signed an MoU to boost sports education in India including sports coaching, community sport development and well-being through sports in India in association with KSINDIA (LLB Pvt. Ltd).

Pearl Academy, Bengaluru, is now an approved affiliated institute of Bengaluru City University. With this, students can enrol for three-and-four-year degree programmes in Business Management, Fashion Design, Communication Design, Animation Design, Graphic Design, Product Design, Interior Design and Textile Design.

National Skill Development Corporation recently signed an MoU with Indian Institute of Teacher Education (IITE) and Childrens University for multiple initiatives contributing towards making India the Skill Capital of the World.

Madras Christian College (MCC), Chennai, in collaboration with Funskool India Ltd., recently conducted Stemathon 2022. Over 70 college students and working professionals from Tamil Nadu and Bengaluru underwent mentoring sessions and were guided in aspects of design thinking, creating their pitch and marketing the ideas.

Atal Incubation Centre-JK Lakshmipat University, DBS Bank and Rajasthan AIM-AIC Network, recently jointly organised the Startup Ecosystem Stakeholder Regional Meet: Rajasthan to create a network among start-up ecosystem enablers and improve the states entrepreneurial eco-system.

IMS Ghaziabad recently signed an MoU for global collaboration with Humanistic Management Centre, Geneva, Switzerland and Humanistic Management Network, Geneva. It also recently organised Vishleshan 2022, its Inter Institute Summer Internship Project (SIP) Competition.

Smiling Tree recently signed an MoU with KR Mangalam University (KRMU), Haryana, to carry out plantations in villages adopted by KRMU and do periodic assessment of the trees planted.

Events and launches

The Design Village recently organised an orientation programme to welcome its ninth batch of UG and PG students.

As a part of T amil Nadu government's Drive Against Drugs initiative and to mark the awareness day against drug abuse, students of the Saveetha School of Management recently took a pledge against drug abuse.

Azent Overseas Education hosted a day-long education fair at Ahmedabad which had over 1000 participants. Students received access to over 90 counsellors and 100+ universities.

Heartfulness, in association with AICTE and UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development, recently hosted the International Rising with Kindness Youth Summit. Over 12,000 academicians and students from across the globe participated.

Information Technology Learning Hub recently launched ReactJS Intermediate, a course designed to provide in-depth knowledge of front-end development and an added skill set of SEO knowledge and application.

JK Business School recently conducted its 35-day orientation programme Adhwan for its new students of the PGDM 2022-24 batch.

The Meghnad Desai Academy of Economics (MDAE) recently welcomed PG Diploma students of the 2022-23 batch and hosted an orientation session for them.

GITAM (Deemed to be) University recently welcomed its new batch of students with a line-up of orientation and induction activities.

Innovate India Coding Championship 2022 organised by Coding Ninjas recently concluded with an event in Chandigarh. Shlok Goyal, IIT Roorkee, won the competition, while Tanveer Singh, BITS Pilani and Ruturaj Godse from BITS Pilani Goa campus secured second and third ranks respectively.

Great Learning recently launched the Great Learning Career Academy to offer courses in Data Analytics and Backend Software Development to assist recent graduates in starting their careers in new-age domains. These four-month full-time classroom courses will offer upto 10 placement opportunities per learner, upon course completion.

Hindustan Online - CODE recently launched its brand campaign titled #NoCompromise, which aims to build a potent space for Hindustan Online - CODE with focused programmes for learners.

Amity Centre of Excellence in Astrobiology, Amity University, Mumbai, recently conducted a two-day international workshop on I ntroduction to Astrobiology. The workshop had a panel discussion on Road ahead of astrobiology in India involving ISRO, IISER, BSIP, and MSA scientists.

University of Essex recently announced Data for All, a free data science and analytics training programme for all its students., where every student can gain the essential data skills, at no additional cost to their study.

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News from the world of Education: August 24, 2022 - The Hindu

TVING has released new team posters for its upcoming variety show, Young Actors Retreat! The show is set to star some cast members from three dramas which received immense popularity. Directed by Kim Sung Yoon PD, the three dramas Itaewon Class, Love In The Moonlight, and The Sound Of Magic will see some cast members coming together and taking a fun trip.

On August 24, TVING dropped posters featuring the three teams as they pose for adorable selfies. Park Seo Joon, Ahn Bo Hyun, Kwon Nara, Ryu Kyung Soo, and Lee Joo Young make up the team of Itaewon Class. The team is said to have been very energetic, lead by their Danbam CEO, Park Seo Joon. The caption is bold as it reads, From now on, were going to chew this place up and swallow it whole.

Meanwhile, Love in the Moonlight stars Park Bo Gum, Kim Yoo Jung, B1A4s Jung Jinyoung, Chae Soo Bin, and Kwak Dong Yeon reference a line from the drama in their caption, declaring, Not being fun? I disallow it. This team reportedly showed off cute chemistry, like that of a group of friends.

Further, the team of The Sound of Magic makes a pun and references its Korean title Annarasumanara at the same time with its caption that reads Annara make-chemistry-happen. The shows cast members Hwang In Yeop, Choi Sung Eun, Ji Hye Won, and Kim Bo Yoon are said to have shown the warm image of little ducklings who follow around their senior and fellow cast member, Ji Chang Wook!

With its Korean title translation to Youth Membership Training, the upcoming variety show is set to premiere on September 9.

Stay updated with the latest Hallyu news on: Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat

ALSO READ:Seo In Guk and Oh Yeon Seo starrer Caf Minamdang returns to personal best ratings with final episode

The rest is here:
Casts of Itaewon Class, Love In The Moonlight and The Sound of Magic star in team posters for upcoming show - PINKVILLA

Want to get viral page views? That's easy. Write a piece called: "AI is going to replace _____ [insert creative professions here] - and... it's already happening! " Update your LinkedIn profile everyone; you're porked!

I already blew a gasket about AI displacing content creators. But a new piece, larded up with sensationalist BS, got me going again, because of this assertion: "You've probably read its work without realising it's an AI."

Then I got a chance to put a new (free) AI writing generator, YouWrite, through its paces. My goal?

Find out if enterprise media - the kind we do on diginomica - is in clear and present AI danger. Here's what I've concluded:

Let's start with Danny's workmate is called GPT-3. You've probably read its work without realising it's an AI. These articles got a second wind because GPT-3 is clearly an advance in bot sophistication - much moreso than Meta's new Blenderbot, which is already getting trashed for being a comparatively dumb (and weird) bot. But GPT-3 has a few things going for it, which leads us to Danny's GPT-3 workmate. The piece asserts:

Danny Mahoney's workmate never leaves, sleeps, or takes a break. Day after day, the AI writing assistant churns out blog posts, reviews, company descriptions and the like for clients of Andro Media, Mr. Mahoney's digital marketing company in Melbourne.

No accident: this example is about marketing copy. That's just about the only type of copy where the bar is low enough to accept AI verbiage, and use it at web scale. I'd love to see a compelling, bot-generated blog post (no examples are provided). There's an uncharted technical gulf between a short company blurb, and a coherent post.

"Writers are expensive. And there's a limit to how much quality content a human can produce," Mr. Mahoney says.

Well yes, that's why writing is a profession.

"You can get the same quality of content using AI tools. You just get it faster."

Since I've never seen a coherent article generated by AI, I'll call BS on that.

Every SEO [Search Engine Optimisation] agency that I've spoken with uses AI to some extent.

Sure, but that's about jamming web sites with keyword-generated schlock, manouvering one step ahead of Google, which is cracking down on that same bot-generated content.

Another example:

The AI tool now writes pretty much everything for his company, Moto Dynamics, which sells motorcycles and organises racing events. Its output includes employee bios, marketing copy, social media posts, and business proposals.

I wouldn't let a bot near my own bio, but go ahead, generate some raw copy. Have fun posting bios loose on facts (bots suck at getting facts completely right; they like to run "facts" up text pattern flagpoles).

Bots excel at mediocre, short blurbs of text that provide a boilerplate paragraph or two on a given topic. I'd bet my Doordash lunch, however, that these bots are not creating effective social media posts. Short-form posts require cleverness to stand out amidst deafening social noise - that's not for bots. Announcing this Sunday's dirt bike race? Sure, a bot can do that.

The "Danny's workmate" article - which is well-researched, I concede - goes on to ask the question "can AI write good?" The proof points? More generic paragraphs. Bots can't handle the narratives readers need for article-length content. Paragraphs are base camp. Narratives are AI's Mount Everest, and the technology is not close. Notice that the article did not include a good lead paragraph sample... Bots can't provide the hook, and the hook is kind of a big deal - in marketing and beyond. Then the article backs up, reverting to this quote:

"It helps you overcome the blank-page problem."

If you stare at the blank screen, maybe seeing machine-generated junk spewed on it would get you started. It's more accurate to say:

Which brings me to YouWrite. YouWrite is a free, AI text generation engine launched by You.com search. With sign up, you get 50 free text generation attempts (I think that resets monthly). YouWrite churns out a paragraph of content at a time - about what AI is capable of.

I thought: why not test YouWrite's enterprise chops? Can YouWrite put me out of a job?

YouWrite has a really elegant, clean design. You choose the type of writing, the type of audience, and provide keywords to get the bot started. I started with - what else? Digital transformation:

I picked "persuasive" for the tone, because, let's face it, we all need to be persuaded about so-called "digital transformation." YouWrite served up:

Digital transformation is more than just a buzzword it's a fundamental shift in the way businesses operate. By embracing digital technologies, companies can create new opportunities and efficiencies, improve customer engagement, and drive growth.

However, embarking on a digital transformation journey can be daunting. It's important to have a clear strategy and roadmap in place, as well as the right tools and resources. Professional services firms can help organizations navigate this journey and achieve success.

Pretty accurate. But I would never use it, unless I was trying to get a project manager to take a nap. What if we dial back the promotion? I tried "digital transformation" again on YouWrite, but selected a "neutral" tone:

Digital transformation is a process that helps organizations to change the way they work in order to meet the demands of the digital age. It enables them to use technology in new ways to improve their performance and competitiveness. By embracing digital technologies, businesses can create innovative customer experiences, optimize operations, and discover new sources of revenue.

I wouldn't call that neutral, but that's a notable tone shift. Now, YouWrite's "witty" option scared me a little. If bots start getting witty, I start updating my resume. Here is the "witty" version of "digital transformation":

Digital transformation is a critical process for businesses in the 21st century. It allows companies to take advantage of new technologies and changes in consumer behavior to remain competitive. By digitizing their operations, businesses can improve efficiency, create new products and services, and better understand their customers. While there are challenges associated with digital transformation, the potential benefits make it a necessary step for any company looking to stay ahead of the curve.

Okay, not so witty. How does YouWrite feel about low-code? Here's the "persuasive" version:

Low code platforms are revolutionizing the way professionals build and deploy applications. By abstracting away much of the complexity of traditional programming, low code platforms allow anyone with basic coding skills to create sophisticated software solutions. This makes low code an ideal platform for prototyping and proof-of-concepts, as well as for small businesses that need to quickly develop custom applications without investing in a full-time developer.

If you're persuaded by this, I know some low-code vendors who would just love a word with you. Here's the "witty" version:

Low code is the perfect solution for businesses that want to get up and running quickly with little or no programming experience. Low code platforms allow you to create custom applications without having to write a single line of code.

Witty? No, but if you need a couple lines of overhyped assertions for your web site, and want to come off like a tech carnival barker, feel free to copy/paste that.

I give YouWrite credit for attempting to provide "witty" bot text. I suspect there are some wittier responses outside of tech jargon. But bots can't really be witty. You can teach them to be provocative, punchy, and offensive. YouWrite's bot struggled with "neutral" when it comes to tech terminology. What does that say about the model, training data, or our underlying techno-optimism?

Still, the bot's ability to shift from "persuasive" to (somewhat) "neutral" was pretty cool. Notice, however, that the bot didn't provide choices like "critical" or "expert." For high-caliber enterprise writing, I'd go with:

1. expert/knows their stuff (most important quality),

2. critical (ability to evaluate tech hype and vendor speak) and, yes,

3. witty/clever/creative.

4. satirical or snarky, to keep it real. Oh, and don't take for granted: a coherent blog narrative.

Notably, AI comes up quite short on all my top characteristics. Crafting a working definition of digital transformation is redundant with Wikipedia.

Frankly, marketers should be insulted that these AI bot articles throw your profession under the bus. Can marketers can get away with such low quality that AI can step in and replace you? The "Danny's workmate" article says:

With proper guidance, GPT-3 (and other AI writing tools) can be good enough for standard professional writing tasks like work emails or content marketing, where speed is more important than style.

Work emails? Tread carefully. Style is not important to work emails, but facts and specifics are everything. Bots can save you time with a one-liner, like "got the TPS report," but if you want to keep your job, I wouldn't take it further.

Content-for-marketing? Perhaps.

Content marketing? No. There is a monster difference between content-for-marketing and content marketing. Verbiage a marketer could plug into a web site - maybe AI can help. But "content marketing" is now very competitive. Content marketing is meant to engage the distracted reader, through exceptional entertainment or relevance. You're not winning at content marketing with bots.

Ironically, these sensational stories miss where AI can have true impact: all the tools that support the creative process. AI excels at analyzing articles for contextual keyword usage., or even spitting out possible article headlines for consideration. My two main uses cases: transcripts and grammar/spell check/writing improvement, the latter of which I used on this piece (see: How an AI service won me over by becoming an AI platform - the Otter.ai machine learning transcription example).

Lackluster paragraphs of buzzword-drenched AI text isn't going to help good marketers become great marketers. The race to the bottom is another matter.

For now, enterprise writing is safe from robotic authors. We aren't safe, however, from the algorithms that decide which content matters. Short-form virality dominates our online discourse. The warning I issued last year still applies:

If engagement is the chosen KPI, isn't the door open to all kinds of "snackable" content, fleeting-but-measurable content moments, each of which can be followed by the next sensationalized bite? If so, that's the type of content AI is potentially capable of creating.

This redefinition of "quality" via engagement, and (AI created) content snacks threaten hand-crafted creative content? If we say "yes," that's a tragic concession. We would be accepting life in a distracted dystopia of factually ambiguous content "snacks."

Fortunately for enterprise content creators, we need more than snackable content to get projects across the finish line, or see transformations through. Complex issues require deeper content dives.

But: if the world around us descends into viral content snacking, I don't like our chances. Instead of celebrating AI's ability to polarize us, we should push back. That may seem like it's beyond the scope of diginomica; I'm not so sure. We can't operate in enterprise productivity bubbles. It falls on us, then, to show why human-crafted content still matters, rather than celebrating the modest content achievements of machines that excel at other things.

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Are B2B content creators threatened by AI text bots? Putting YouWrite to the test - Diginomica

Ill give you one guess about the answer to the titular question: Is getting an SEO certification worth it?

Its every SEO pros favorite response.

Thats right: It depends! (If it didnt, this would be a much shorter article.)

SEO certifications can be valuable if youre new to the industry or expanding your skillset into different disciplines.

But do you need a specific certification to be successful? Probably not.

Certifications and courses are great for building your base skills and familiarity with industry tools. But SEO evolves so quickly that experience and testing are often the best teachers.

Experienced SEO pros who can prove results dont need certifications for work they already do.

But you still might find something helpful in the right training. Everyone needs to upskill.

Lets examine which certifications could be the most valuable for your time or money.

There isnt one single widely-recognized SEO certification. Theres no SEO degree or common curriculum which might sound discouraging if youre trying to learn how to get started in SEO.

But it makes sense.

SEO is a huge discipline that requires many skills and includes many people.

Developers, designers, writers, marketers, data analysts, influencers, salespeople, managers, and other professionals all have something to add to the SEO industry.

There are tons of ways to contribute and plenty of entry points.

However, the academic community seems to be taking more notice lately. Certifications offered by colleges have started popping up.

Many businesses offer their own courses and certifications. But, these can be pricy.

The short answer is: Pay for what you learn, not for the certificate.

With the number of free resources out there, from SEO beginner guides to advanced SEO strategy guides, I dont advise paying a lot of money for basic certification.

The certificate itself probably isnt whats going to move the needle for you.

This industry cares about what you can prove and for the most part, all a certificate proves is that you can Google the answers to multiple-choice questions.

On the other hand, the courses themselves can be extremely valuable when they go beyond the basics. If theres a course you want to take, and you think youll gain helpful skills from it, then its absolutely worth paying for.

So evaluate a certification or course based on what actual educational value you get from it.

Ive also noticed that many paid certifications are companions to a specific premium SEO tool. So, theyre likely worth it if youre committing to that tool.

My advice is to check out the free content first. If you like what it does and feel like youd get actual business value out of the course or certification, then go right ahead!

Learning new skills and tools can propel your career and help you command greater compensation. Plus, a series of specialized certifications can build an impressive LinkedIn profile and CV.

If youre new to the industry, certifications can help you prove your knowledge to attract your first clients or jobs.

Unfortunately, if youre hoping for official certification from Google, it doesnt offer anything directly that fits that description.

However, it does offer certifications in all of its tools. It also provides a variety of digital marketing, career development, and data courses though not all of these come with certificates.

If you browse the Digital Garage, youll also find courses from providers outside of Google, such as Coursera and educational institutions.

The Google resources are helpful in their granularity.

You should be able to tell which are relevant and useful to you quickly. Not all will be, but you should at least consider taking tool-specific courses.

The courses are categorized by time, skill level, and whether youll get a digital certificate at the end.

At the time of writing, theyre all free so theres really no reason not to check out something youre interested in.

A Google account with a healthy selection of completed certificates can be helpful if you lack real-world experience with the tools.

Plus, Google partner organizations often require Google certifications.

This list includes some of the most highly-regarded certifications that provide a lot of value in the learning process. Ive focused on free certifications first, but well talk about paid courses that might be worth it later on.

This ones not technically an SEO certification but features SEO modules, including modules about search ads and local search.

If youre going to be using Googles tools, theres no better teacher than the people who made them.

Plus, earning certifications for all the tools you regularly use is a great and quick way to communicate your technical expertise.

This one is particularly relevant to, well, everyone who used to use Google Analytics.

GA4 brings changes and new features, so you should keep up with the times!

University of California, Davis offers this specialization in SEO.

Its a series of five courses culminating in a capstone project.

Out of all the options, this is likely the most time-intensive. Its also the most intriguing.

HubSpots Academy is legitimately cool. Its all free and online, not unlike Googles learning resources. Its also easy to search for certifications on various digital marketing-related topics.

Semrush structures its courses and certifications a bit differently.

It lists courses separately from the exams.

If youre confident in your knowledge and up for a challenge, you can quickly jump into the exams and earn a certification.

Or, you can do as many courses as you like before tackling a single exam.

Alternatively, you can skip certification exams if you dont care for them and just want to learn.

This certification exam is paired with a course of the same name, but Semrush features several SEO-focused courses and certifications.

Im cheating a little bit with this one. Theres no certification at the end of the course, but as Ive already stated, I can be dubious about the sole value of certifications themselves.

So, you wont get a digital certificate to add your LinkedIn profile but you can still brag about it.

I like this one because its no-nonsense; its a YouTube playlist. Easy access, anytime.

Im cheating again; I decided to group the paid certifications here. Trusted names in the industry offer these, so youll likely get a lot of value from them.

But if youre new to the industry and just looking to get started, consider saving these for later on.

Moz Academy

The Moz training academy includes a variety of courses.

Theres one free course to get your feet wet, but the certifications are $395 or $595.

Moz does offer a robust learning center where you can get a lot of insight from these industry veterans.

Yoast All-Around SEO Training

Yoast is the ubiquitous WordPress SEO plugin.

If youve done any work on the content side of digital marketing, youve probably encountered it.

Its training course is an annual subscription model for $99 a year. Theres a free course you can try out to get started.

Theres a critical difference between a course and a certification. Not all courses have certifications. Some of the best ones dont.

Certifications have their uses. Theyre quick ways to demonstrate proficiencies to employers and clients and if you dont have a lot of experience, they can act as proof of your skills.

Getting certified in specific tools is great for your resume if you work with them. An at-a-glance list of your certified tools is impressive and helpful!

But the content you learn is much more important than the digital certificate. You shouldnt discount a course because you dont get a certification out of it.

In fact, a digital certification in and of itself isnt particularly impressive.

Dont let that dissuade you from seeking out learning opportunities. Digital courses, both free and paid, can be critical in your career.

You can learn new skills, keep up with the industry, and command higher rates with the right application of knowledge.

Dont focus on getting SEO certified. Focus on learning SEO.

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7 Best SEO Certifications: Are They Worth It? - Search Engine Journal